"I like and appreciate teacher/educati0n blogs" is, apparently, an understatement.

Ms. Sigh Ants posted a comment to my last post:

"This is going to sound kind of cheesy but I like reading your self-reflections on your lessons. As a student in a similar place to you it reminds me that we all struggle and worry and feel happy about the same things. It is also neat to see how other people react to situations. Thanks for sharing this with all of us!"

I began to respond to her posting in the comments, but it turned into this...so it got its own post.

Ms. Sigh Ants, that's not at all cheesy - it's true! That's why I've been so fascinated by educati0n blogs/teacher blogs ever since I discovered their existence last spring. It's just so...reassuring to read about other people who are going through the same things I am.

And I just love when I find other soon-to-be-teacher blogs, because then I'm not reading about where I will be in a few years, I'm reading about other people who are experiencing the same things as I am right now. And I just love hearing (reading) how other people interpret/analyze their own personal experiences in whatever subject/grade level they are learning how to teach.

Also, I'm constantly curious as to what other educati0n programs are like. I think mine is atypical in some respects; (the size, for one thing, and because of the size the way we interact so personally with the professors. And perhaps the (unofficial) philosophy of the educati0n department, for another – we're liberal to the nth degree here at my school, and that certainly is reflected in many of the topics discussed in the educati0n classes.) So I love reading other educati0n students' perspectives on the ways their educati0n programs are preparing them to teach, and whatever else they write about their programs.

Additionally, thanks for reading and commenting. It's great just hear other people say "yeah, I'm going through that too." Because with the educati0n program at my school as tiny as it is, there really aren't other peers here that I can discuss these things with; people who will understand the excitements and disappointments I go through. Sure, people will listen to me rattle on about my observing or my teaching, and they'll nod and smile and display appropriate emotions to the things I'm telling them, but they don't really know in the same way other people in educati0n programs or already teacher know what I'm talking about.

So I guess I'm really thankful for the fact that this medium exists. Not only has it taught me a lot about educati0n in the "real world" and different perspective on educati0n, (though I have to admit, I think I stick to reading blogs written by teachers who seem to teach in ways I agree with…so, I'm pretty closed-minded in the way that liberal people are often closed-minded to conservative perspectives) but it has made me even more enthusiastic about educati0nal issues in general. Previously, I kind of wanted to be a teacher because I really like children and I really liked educati0n, and I figured combining the two by turning into a teacher would be a good plan. But through reading all the blogs that I read (see: huge sidebar) I have become informed about all the current educati0nal issues in a more personalized manner than what I got in my intro to educati0n class.

Alright, this was not written with the intent to be really long and cheesy. I just meant to respond to Ms. Sigh Ant's comment to my last post. But, this is what it turned into!

Thanks to all the educati0n/teacher blogs out there. This is a great network to be part of!